The 2012 ABSA Under-21 Provincial Championship will be contested from 13 July to 27 October 2012. The tournament will feature the Under-21 players from the fourteen provincial rugby unions in South Africa.
There are seven participating teams in the 2012 ABSA Under-21 Provincial Championship Division A. These teams will play each other twice over the course of the season, once at home and once away.
Teams will receive four points for a win and two points for a draw. Bonus points are awarded to teams that score 4 or more tries in a game, as well as to teams that lose a match by 7 points or less. Teams are ranked by points, then points difference (points scored less points conceded).
The top 4 teams will qualify for the title play-offs. In the semi-finals, the team that finish first has home advantage against the team that finish fourth, while the team that finish second has home advantage against the team that finish third. The winners of these semi-finals will play each other in the final, at the same venue as the 2012 Currie Cup Premier Division Final.
The bottom team in Division A will play a play-off game at home against the winner of the Division B final for a place in Division A in 2013.
There are seven participating teams in the 2012 ABSA Under-21 Provincial Championship Division B. These teams will play each other once over the course of the season, either at home or away.
Teams will receive four points for a win and two points for a draw. Bonus points are awarded to teams that score 4 or more tries in a game, as well as to teams that lose a match by 7 points or less. Teams are ranked by points, then points difference (points scored less points conceded).
The top 4 teams will qualify for the title play-offs. In the semi-finals, the team that finish first has home advantage against the team that finish fourth, while the team that finish second has home advantage against the team that finish third. The winners of these semi-finals will play each other in the final, at the same venue as the 2012 Currie Cup First Division Final.
The winner of the final will play a play-off game away from home against the bottom team in Division A for a place in Division A in 2013.
The following teams will take part in the 2012 ABSA Under-21 Provincial Championship competition:
| Division A | ||
| Team | Stadium/s | |
|---|---|---|
| Division B | ||
| Team | Stadium/s | |
|---|---|---|